By Ray King
Before the Pine Bluff City Council began their meeting Tuesday, they honored Pine Bluff School District Driver Carl Smith for the actions he took following an accident involving a bus that he was driving and a Pine Bluff Police Car driven by Officer Anthony Kirkpatrick.
Smith took a fire extinguisher from his bus and used it to put out a fire in Kirkpatrick’s police car.
Kirkpatrick, who is hospitalized, joined the meeting by Zoom to personally thank Smith for what he did and Smith was presented a plaque by Mayor Shirley Washington and Police Chief Denise Richardson.
Following a public hearing, the council voted to overturn a decision by the Planning Commission and approve the use of property at 219 and 221 Main Street for a Wellness Park as part of the Delta Rhythm and Bayous project.
Economic and Community Development Director Larry Matthews said the council has already approved funding for the project and at the planning commission meeting, there were not enough votes to approve the city’s request for construction.
Council member Bruce Lockett, one of the sponsors of the legislation talked about it with Deltaplex News,
The vote to overturn the planning commission was 8-0.
In a related matter, a resolution authorizing the Economic and Community Development Department to purchase equipment for the park was approved without dissent.
The total cost of the equipment was listed at $363,050.05 with the money coming from $2 million that was taken from the Go Forward Sales Tax receipts and set aside for the Delta Rhythm and Bayou’s project.
Following a second public hearing, the council voted 8-0 to uphold the Planning Commission decision to deny a request by John Fenley to establish a go-cart track at 2622 W. 17th Av., the site of the former Varco-Pruden plant.
Council member LaTisha Brunson was one of the council members who spoke against Fenley’s appeal.
The meeting was held Tuesday because of the Labor Day Holiday
